Nutrition for athletic girls is a source of confidence!

March is National Nutrition Month and we'd like to share tips on good nutrition for girl athletes. Balance is key. It is important to include lean protein, nutrient rich carbohydrates (whole grain, non GMO if possible), low-fat dairy, fruits, and vegetables in an athlete's diet. It is essential to be properly hydrated, so drink your water throughout the day! Some folks say 1/2 your body weight in ounces - shoot for at least eight glasses. To prep for a game, start out with a hearty breakfast rich in carbohydrates to keep your energy up, move on to a balanced lunch containing protein vegi, carbohydrate combination, spread out protein consumption throughout the day, try to avoid bad fatty foods (eat the good ones like avocado), and eat your last meal two to three hours before game time to be sure you have digested it. For our recommendations for post-game recovery foods check out our guide here! Join the conversation and leave us a comment on what food routine works for you. 

 

A missing piece, what is holding young girls back from achieving their wildest dreams?

Did you know that there is a decrease in physical activity when young girls experience breast growth? According to a recent study in the Journal of Adolescents Health, "three quarters of school-aged girls report breast-related concern regarding exercise and sports." That is a large percentage and a cause for concern. Young girls are turning away from activities that provide them with the necessary skills to be successful and achieve their potential in life. Looking at Maslow's Pyramid below, you can see there are a lot of steps in reaching self-actualization, but being involved in sports plays a role in reaching this feeling of fulfillment. Sports bring you the psychological need of belongingness and love. Being on a team, provides you with these intimate relationships and friendships. It also gives you and your team a goal to work towards, which brings you closer together, as you support each other through the wins and losses on the field and the ups and downs off the field, as well. The aspect from Maslow's pyramid that is lacking in young girls development is self-esteem. The body image issues that arise when going through the period of breast-development and puberty cause girls to be less confident in who they are and the abilities and talents they possess. This halts their ability to reach their full potential and ultimately their dreams. Dragonwing Girlgear wants to restore this piece of the pyramid in young girls. Our initiative is to boost young girls self-esteem through the educating them about their bodies and providing the physical gear to allow them the chance to compete confidently in sports. "Sports programs frequently recommend protective gear for boys, like cups, or compression shorts, but they fail to have a comparable list for girls." Dragonwing Girlgear provides you with that list, as well as the knowledge you need about sizing and fit to ensure esteem is restored in young girls. With more pressure than ever from society to succeed, Dragonwing Girlgear wants to go beyond providing you with a clothing item. We want to give you the foundation and support you or your daughter needs to feel comfortable and confident in achieving their wildest dreams.

GIRLS tackle football!

Teaching girls they can find their passion in any sport is so important. Football is welcoming females into its world and girls are tackling the stereotypes. Check out more on this awesome article.

To mothers and their daughters

Researchers say "similarities between mothers and daughters are more pronounced than any other relationship". Check out the full article and learn more about your special bond!

Discover cyclocross!

A science teacher and national cyclocross champion? Melissa Barker proves she can do anything she puts her mind to. In cyclocross "cyclists race around circuits of 2.5-3.5K over various surfaces (dirt, mud, sand, grass and pavement), churning uphill and flying downhill, while dismounting and carrying their bikes over obstacles several times each lap". Learn more about her awesome story here.

Summer's Over. Back to School and Sports.

Labor Day is always bittersweet. It marks the end of summer and beginning of the school and sports, which if like me, you live in the South, may have started already. I'll miss the unstructured days and relaxing evenings, the

Evidence that Teaching Our Girls to "Think Big" Works!

http://www.sbbinstitute.org/susans-blog/wednesdays-woman-of-the-week-the-sullivan-sisters/

Half of all managers in the U.S. are female, but most are stuck in midlevel staff jobsIn senior posts, men outnumber women by almost six to one.
negative assessment of athletic ability didn't crush them -- Denise analyzed the comment and then worked to fix it. They are in it for the long game. Exposure to business terms and concepts delivered with respect (like girls are too stupid to get it) Re fire twirliing -- parents have fear of injury -- but instead of passing that fear on her mother made a fire proof costume and passed on ingeniuity and solution.

Maggie, "the one who was always pushing the envelope, Nixon story -not afraid to ask at the highest level for what she wants and unwilling to be patronized. An assistant to President Nixon told her the president appreciated her invitation to a local benefit for Vietnam Veterans but couldn't attend. "Isn't he at least going to pay for the dinner tickets I sent?" Maggie asked. The president's check arrived the next week. Indicator -got first job in high school. Advice -do sales, quantifiable. Comfortable being the only woman in the room and pride in being a pioneer. Family as a support network -- and if this is not your situation, then a family of friends. Get where the power is --ceo hub -- you won't get anywhere if you don't try. Family support to keep working if you wish, when you have children. Think entrepreneurily within the corporation and create your own opportunity if you aren't where you want to be (nabisco story with denise) on a personal level, it matters who you marry all are married to men who accommodate their wives' careers and don't seem threatened by their spouses' achievements or job demands.

"Anytime anyone sold something, they rang the bell -- and even though it seemed hokey at first, it made people feel like winners," she says. In 10 months, the region went from last to first place. --lesson -celebrate wins big and small. (gong at ilab)

make their own opportunities

can girls be taught to be successful and free up emotional baggage from social media and societal expectations so they can actualize their potential.

Importance of one parent -father or mother or both, in encouraging and exposing skills and advocating. (healthy marriage could be an indicator -parents aligned in value system.)

what can coaches take from the parenting skills of these parents -- allow failure as girls broaden their skill set. This means no punishment, bullying or recrimination. Shame and fear of punishment will hold back performance.

Be aggressive in your ideas and goals but not neccesarily your demeaner (Denise Morrison)

https://money.cnn.com/2015/03/26/investing/sister-ceos-powerful-women-campbell-soup-frontier/index.html

the sisters mentored each other https://coachingtip.blogs.com/career_women_coaching/2011/07/sister-ceos.html

marketing plan story

girls learn lessons every day -how can we make these positive and informative

"While we're climbing the ladder with one hand, we need to have another hand to pull women along from behind. I do that every day," Wilderotter said.

are feelings of "not enough" reinforced because of your environment

I didn't know until my 30th college anniversary that so many classmates came from backgrounds just like mine -- and that we were not the minority of students but equal and possibly the majority. Why did we feel like we didn't belong. There were many factors, such as social clubs that had few members but an oppressive presence. My surprize realization was perhaps it was the campus itself, the architechture, the age, the old world beautity that reinforced identity threat. Like someone like me wasn't meant to walk those hallowed grounds and that every day, those feelings were reinforced.

Where to Start: Is there a right time and order to introducing support tops?

Where to Start and What to Introduce First

Minority Majority - How traditions and culture can perpetuate identity threat even when the identity in question is in the majority.

NYTimes Sports Page: How reports stereotypes and takes away from the achievements of women athletes.